What is it about?
Many dairy farmers and vets focus on calves before weaning, but this article highlights how important the post-weaning phase is too. Good management during this time—from 8 weeks old until first calving—can reduce costs, improve milk production, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Using the tools available, vets and farmers can track key performance indicators such as age at first calving. Meeting the goal of calving by 23–24 months leads to healthier cows, better profits, and more sustainable farms.
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Why is it important?
This article brings much-needed attention to a critical yet often overlooked phase in heifer development—post-weaning. By demonstrating how milk recording data can be harnessed to set measurable goals and improve key outcomes, it offers a timely, data-driven approach to address productivity, economic strain, and environmental impact in dairy herds. With pressure growing on farms to be both profitable and sustainable, these insights provide vets with practical tools to re-engage during a pivotal but under-serviced period of heifer management.
Perspectives
I hope this article encourages more vets to engage in the post-weaning phase of heifer rearing. It’s a stage that’s often missed, but the potential for meaningful impact—on herd productivity, animal welfare, and sustainability—is significant. With the right focus and data, we can make a real difference.
Emily Linton
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Weaning and beyond: using data to engage farmers in post-weaning heifer management, Livestock, March 2025, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/live.2025.0041.
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